Fruit and vegetable peeler



NOV. 6, 1934. l R v GRAYSON 1,979,615

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PEELER y Filed OCT.. 19. 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventum Raga/1 Grayam Nov. 6, 1934. R. v. GRAYsoN 1,979,615

FRUIT AND VEGETABL PEELER Filed oct. 19, 11951 s sheets-sheet s R apk 611375012 `the feed and pressure rollers.

elements on the propelling roller.

` NIT TMs-sf ferriesi;979,e15, FRUIT ANDvEGETaBLE PEELER 'Ralph'. VV. Grayson,- f Atlanta, Gai v 'Animation onoraria; 1.931', seria-11nd., 569,777

' i r1o `claime- (emilie-'43) rThis `invention relates sto machines for peeling-- fruits and vegetables, .and more particularly .to

machines for peeling orang-e', grape fruits` and the like but adapted to peel other articles having` a substantially lspherical shape.` f

The :object of lthe invention tis Itoprovide -a de*A vice capable of operating on aipluralityof objects applied toit in continuons procession, tofeffectively peel the same in .a vrapid and Ahifrihlyfefdoient manner and discharge ythe peeled fruits.`

Further objects will :more particularly appear in `the coursenof :the fdetailed description of the invention.

The invention consists'lin ythe novel tion, Aarrangement and combinations V.of/parts hereinafter more particularly claimed. f

.Three sheets of drawingseaccompanyfthis specicatiombeing largelycli-agranfm'iatic nchar acter. Like reference `VA`characters Iindicate Ilille parts throughout the description.

In the drawings: f.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the improved machines.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the machine. l

Fig. 3 is a Vertical transverse cross-section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross section on line 5 5 of Fig. 1 showing the drive mechanism for Fig. 6 is a longitudinal cross-section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2, showing the construction of the pressure roller.

Fig. '7 is a transverse cross sectionvtaken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a perspective of one unit of the pressure roller.

Fig. 9 is a plan projection of the lines determined by the fruit contacting and propelling Fig. 10 is a perspective of the entire machine. Referring to the drawings, the improved peeling device may be conveniently mounted on a base 1, and consistsessentially of four rollers 'identined by 2, 3, 4 and 5, arranged with their axes parallel, two of the said rollers 2 and 3 being arranged withtheir perimeters in a substantially common horizontal plane and slightly lspaced apart so as to form a supporting trough `for the fruit or other `objects to be peeled. The

third or knife roller 4 is arranged above and intermediate the rollers 2 and 3. The fourth or what may be termed the peeling gauge roller 5, is arranged adjustably under the knife roller .construc-- i described andA 4, .ric11er2 is afpropelling rol1er-andis pmvidedl withV .a plurality of i :radially disposed striker and guiding members l5, which membersare arranged iny ay :staggered manner, following, hotvever,. a

substantially spiral course from one end .ofthe 60 roller to the i other. The width of the path deiinechby the.adjacentconvolutions of said striker membersis the samethroughout.

By referring toFig, 9, it vwillfloenoted that the path of the radially disposed striker .inembersj 65 i issuch as to lpropel the fruit `baclrvv-ardsas lfiort distance and forwardlyagreater distance during each revolution .ofthe propelling roller andthese relativer backward .and forwardmotions are pref ferablyfrelated in -the ratio-)of 1 to2. Y H

.The upper orpeeler roller 4 gisl provided :with a perpheralspiral knife 14,and maybe convenientlvmounted .upon spindle ;5 Supprted in suitable bearings upon -whichspindlewill be secured driverpuller` 6 .which Willms/driven `frorn a motor inot shown). A f y ,y Y

The supporting `.roller 31s .specially-constructed to provide for automatic adjustment to accommodate a substantial range of sizes in the fruit and also rather pronouncedvariations in the shape of the individual fruits. To this end it consists of a plurality of roller elements 7, each of which is preferably provided with longitudinally disposed peripheral corrugations 8 and an axial ori- Iice 9. These roller units are assembled on a spindle 10 on which is spirally wound a spiral spring 11 which provides a ilexible resilient support for each of these independent roller elements.

The gauge roller 5 for regulating the depth of the peeling to be cut by knife roller 4, is an idler which may be conveniently mounted on a spindle 12 horizontally adjustable in slotted brackets 13 and held in adjusted position as by wing nuts 16.

The rollers 2 and 3 are xedly mounted on shafts 17 and 18 respectively, on which latter are pivoted frame members 19 in which are journals for the shaft 17, and the stub drive shaft 20. The stub shaft 20 carries two gears 21, 22, which mesh with and drive gears 23 and 24 mounted respectively on shafts 18 and 17. The stub shaft 20 is also provided with a spiral gear 25 which meshes with a Worm 26, on main drive shaft 27, which is ly with respect to their pivot shaft 18, by means 1m,

alc-f posite vertical sides of the orange and spin or` rotate the same in opposite directions successively on an axis substantially at right angles to that of the axes of the rollers.

It win thus be apparent that 'the'object to be peeled is given a rapid compoundl'rotary move-1` ment, while at the same time itis advanced from one end of this propelling rollerv` to the other by reason of the substantially spiral course of they striker members, and that throughout its passage over the propelling rollers lthe rapidly rotating spiral knife will continually scarf and remove the skins or rind from thefruit.

Various modifications and mechanical adjustments by means of which the relative spacing of the rollers can bey determined for various sizes of fruits and the'like will vreadily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, but within the scope of the present invention, as claimed.

1. A peeler comprising a plurality of rollers having substantially parallel axes, two of said rollers arranged in spaced relation in a substantially horizontal plane to constitute propellers "l and a third roller arranged above and substantially medialof said rpropellers; knife means on said'third roller; means on one of said propeller rollers adapted to advance an object axially, and

x means'for rotating said rollers.

2. The combination of claim l in which the knife means is arranged spirally on its roller.

3. 'Ihe combination of claim 1 in which the means for moving the object axially of the propeller rollers comprises peripherally disposed contact means spirally arranged on one of said propeller rollers.

4. The combination of claim 1 in which the means for moving the object axially of the propeller rollers comprises peripherally disposed contact members arranged in a zig-zag manner followingv a generally spiral course whereby an object Will be alternatelypropelled in opposite axial directions but predominantly in one axial direc- A tion.

5. In a peeler, in combination, means for rotat- @ing an object continuously on one axis of the object in one direction, means for rotating the object on an axis of the object perpendicularly to that first mentioned in opposite directions successively, and means for scoring the object duringits rotation.

6. In a peeler, in combination, means for progressing'a plurality of objects in a determined direction, means for simultaneously rotating said objects on a plurality'of angularly disposed axes passing through said objects, means for successively reversing the direction of rotation on certain axes and means for scoring the objects continuously during said progression.

7. `The structure ofv claim 1in which one of said` propeller rollers includes a resiliently supported fruit contacting element.

8.In a fruit peeling machine a fruit supporting roller comprising a shaft, a spiral spring spirally wound on said shaft, and a plurality of roller elements supported on said shaft and spring.

9. The structure of claim 1, with a'guard roller RALPH v.'GRAYsoN.

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